tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79591114224382640022018-05-22T01:02:47.026-07:00Katy's KitchenCooking adventures at home, at school and abroad.Katy Utternoreply@blogger.comBlogger361125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-3503867196246826792016-12-15T09:55:00.003-08:002016-12-15T10:16:08.262-08:00Reflecting on 2016<style type="text/css"> p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #454545} </style> <br /><div class="p1"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L_AXfeyUIIw/WFLYwL4mHtI/AAAAAAABQqM/wEqIpnC4HTItoA45FxPIOaWU3vP06gfOwCLcB/s1600/me-and-you96.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="reflecting on 2016" border="0" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L_AXfeyUIIw/WFLYwL4mHtI/AAAAAAABQqM/wEqIpnC4HTItoA45FxPIOaWU3vP06gfOwCLcB/s320/me-and-you96.JPG" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from <a href="https://www.reeseandrenee.com/">Reese and Renee</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />This year has been a whirlwind. Reflecting over the past twelve months is almost a little exhausting. To start 2016, Matt and I got engaged. The first quarter of this year included wedding planning, a lot of working, finding out that Matt got a job offer in Atlanta, making the decision to move across the country and getting all of my crap to Chicago. I was incredibly stressed and not eating as healthy as I could be.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1">Emotionally, I was incredibly up and down. I was so excited and joyful about getting married, upset about leaving the place I loved and all my friends and overcome with the stress of moving. There were a few weeks before my lease started in Atlanta so I headed to my parents house in Chicago.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">While I stayed with my parents, I was finally able to catch up on sleep. But the problem was no matter how much I slept, I was still tired and groggy. I tried to keep up my workout schedule of 4-5x a week, but I was having trouble pushing myself. I remember at one point, I found myself trying to get through a hard workout and breaking down in tears. I was putting an incredible amount of pressure on myself — to look a certain way for the wedding, to get through the move without relying on anyone else and to keep everything looking like it was running smoothly. In April, Matt and I moved to Atlanta. He started a new job and I&nbsp;started working from home. It was a crazy month of adjustments for both us - with work and with each other. I was still exhausted and beating myself up for feeling that way. By the end of April, Matt left town for a work training for a month and I knew something needed to change.</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">The way I had always taken care of myself was no longer working. While I was in school, I had a pretty familiar rhythm. Something of a hustle and pause. I would work progressively harder throughout a semester and end finals week sick and running on empty. Then I'd have a month or so off where I slept, ate well and started a workout routine again so that by the time I arrived back at school, I was full again. In the real world, this is totally&nbsp;unsustainable. Burnout is real and I was feeling its effects. Hustling as hard as I could was sacrificing my health. I started looking for answers.<br />&nbsp;I talked to a friend and nutritionist&nbsp;<a href="http://www.jackiemulligan.co/">Jackie Mulligan</a> who gave me some recommendations for improving my diet. Then I started talking to health coach <a href="http://erindubichnutrition.com/">Erin Dubich</a>, who helped me understand that my health was more than just my workouts and my diet — so much of it had to do with mental wellbeing. I was beating myself down — for not being able to get maintain the pace I was trying to keep, for not looking the way I thought I should, for not living up to the unrealistic expectations I had for myself. I was also dealing with major back pain which made everything from working out to sleeping a painful experience.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">With the encouragement of Erin, I overhauled my health. Not only did I get back to eating lots of fresh, whole foods, but I quit working out. Like actually stopped. It was not longer giving me positive benefits and with my back pain, it was too much to bear. I started seeing a chiropractor and sleeping for 9-10 hours every night. I cut out caffeine and started meditating. During the summer, Matt was still traveling a lot. In July, I visited my parents for two weeks while Matt was out of town. Partway through that trip, I remember waking up and feeling refreshed. And then it happened again the next day. And the next. Finally, my fatigue was lifting. After several months of feeling lost and underground, I started coming into the light.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">My time with Erin was invaluable — I knew that mentality is important, but I didn't realize how fully my negative mentality was holding me. She helped me sort through the negative self-talk to find peace, acceptance and love for myself. What I thought was a selfish act, was actually the fulcrum in my health journey. Without loving myself, I realized that I could not love and serve others as fully as they deserved. This improved my relationship with Matt, played a pivotal role in finding friends in Atlanta and helped me strengthen my relationship with God. By this point, my back pain was improving so I took up yoga which further helped me to de-stress. We got a lot of wedding planning done this fall and really prioritized time with our families. Matt finally finished his work training and crazy travel schedule. With him back in town, I stopped feeling so much of the weight of everything. I have a partner in this and don't have to do it all by myself.&nbsp;</div><div class="p1"><br /></div><div class="p1">Here's the kicker — this story isn't over. I'm still living it. My health changes day to day, but I'm much more attune to what's happening and I'm&nbsp;empowered with the knowledge that I've gained over the past year. I work for a health company and I can finally say that I feel like I'm in good health: mentally, physically and emotionally. A few months ago I was asked to come up with a health challenge for the new year. I was still in the middle of my own health journey and thought "Great, I have to come up with something I probably won't even be able to do because it will be too hard or intense or restrictive." And then I realized that no one needs another 30 Day Plank Challenge — they need to understand that your health is more than just the food you eat and how many HIIT workouts you can do in a week. It has so much more to do with taking care of yourself, observing what is working and adjusting what isn't. So January 1st, <a href="https://www.purepharma.com/">PurePharma</a> is hosting <a href="https://www.purepharma.com/us/en_us/january">The Good Life Challenge</a> — a change for good that asks you to look at every aspect of your health: movement, eating, recovery and balance. We're giving away a ton of things for free: Everything from workouts to recipes to awesome resources like ROMWOD and Headspace so that you can make changes and learn even more about yourself. If you're tired of the health rut your on, I encourage you to check it out. Joining is totally free.<br /><br />When I started this year, <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2016/01/2016-goals-my-word-for-year.html">I chose a word</a>&nbsp;to focus on and set some goals. My word was love and I couldn't have expected the journey that this word took me on. I'm excited to start 2017 in a healthy, and with the health challenge that I poured lots of love and inspiration into it.&nbsp;</div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-92142001578345515182016-09-29T12:36:00.000-07:002016-09-30T05:26:17.030-07:00Back in Atlanta for Fall <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a1FkLszy1N8/V-1s1dVEm2I/AAAAAAABOvI/UhMJrisEOhgHq-1dXd0BRJb-YS93BXAewCLcB/s1600/fall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a1FkLszy1N8/V-1s1dVEm2I/AAAAAAABOvI/UhMJrisEOhgHq-1dXd0BRJb-YS93BXAewCLcB/s320/fall.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Hey friends! I've been quiet lately — the end of summer was a crazy season for me and I've been savoring the quiet lately not to mention working full-time and doing some wedding planning. It's my first fall in Atlanta and I'm loving it so far — mostly because it hasn't felt like fall yet! It's been in the 80s and beautiful, but it looks like in the next few weeks, it should be cooling down.<br /><br />With this weather and extended summer, I feel like I'm finally ready for fall — I've been buying lots of apples and everything pumpkin&nbsp;from Trader Joes. Matt's in town so we're looking forward to going to some fun fall things in Atlanta. Here's what I'm looking forward to doing in the next month:<br /><br /><h3>1. Celebrating Fall</h3>I'm looking forward to some apple picking and <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/modera-by-mill-creek-inaugural-fall-festival-tickets-28264337394?aff=es2" target="_blank">fall festivals</a> all over. I want to pick out pumpkins, get a bunch of apples and do some fall cooking.<br /><h3><b>2. Networking</b></h3>Now that I'm back in town, I'm looking forward to branching out in my new city and meeting new people in the professional community. This <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taste-of-success-wine-tasting-tickets-28210864455?aff=es2" target="_blank">wine tasting and networking event</a>&nbsp;this weekend sounds right up my alley.<br /><br /><h3>3. Working Out</h3>Earlier this year I was dealing with some back issues, but now that they are resolved, I'm excited to get moving again. I'm loving yoga right now so this <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/barre-yoga-brunch-tickets-27857849578?aff=es2" target="_blank">Barre Yoga Brunch</a> sounds fun.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Do you plan to <a href="http://bit.ly/2dK1myi" target="_blank">create your own event</a>? Visit Eventbrite so others can join you.&nbsp;</div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-16007227208288545742016-07-06T17:23:00.003-07:002016-07-06T17:23:58.112-07:00Infused Waters Obsession<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2XLejBgxwrg/V0iAYC_aYkI/AAAAAAABJx4/ZOl0mRLgXiY/s640/blogger-image-634114778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="infused water" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2XLejBgxwrg/V0iAYC_aYkI/AAAAAAABJx4/ZOl0mRLgXiY/s640/blogger-image-634114778.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I now understand why it's called Hotlanta. There have been several days down here when it's been 90+ with high humidity and it is rough. I spend most of my days indoors working at a desk, but I've been more cognizant about drinking water to keep from getting dehydrated.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Drinking water all day is BORING so I've been played around with a few different infusions. I got this cute carafe at IKEA so I fill it up in the morning, add some fruit + herbs and by lunch it's delicious and I drink it all afternoon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u>A few of my favorite combos:</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lime + mint</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lemon + basil</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cucumber + mint</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lemon + lime</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Strawberry + lime</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just plain mint</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Sometimes I even use sparkling water (gasp). It gives it a little extra kick. And when I'm not making my own sparkling infusions, I love <a href="http://spindriftfresh.com/" target="_blank">these from Trader Joes</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Stay hydrated, my friends.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-50920263125239565012016-06-07T05:39:00.000-07:002016-06-07T05:45:30.243-07:00TWO Urban Licks in Atlanta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MoiiaRw1zBw/V1a9KSjfSuI/AAAAAAABJ0U/XBTzSBmSVnw/s640/blogger-image--382296481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="TWO urban licks atlanta" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MoiiaRw1zBw/V1a9KSjfSuI/AAAAAAABJ0U/XBTzSBmSVnw/s640/blogger-image--382296481.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Matt's been doing some traveling for work training and after some time away, we made last Saturday night as a date night. I had heard good things about <a href="http://www.twourbanlicks.com/" target="_blank">TWO Urban Licks</a>&nbsp;so we got a last minute reservation and headed over there.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The restaurant itself is beautiful — it's industrial and has several art installations including a wall of plants and an enormous painting made with multiple canvases. One wall is all windows and looks over their outdoor patio and that <a href="http://beltline.org/" target="_blank">Atlanta Beltline</a>. I also loved that they played classic rock.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mkax2o9xZ0s/V1a9Nl4VV4I/AAAAAAABJ0c/arUYQQJYg5Q/s640/blogger-image--1282654944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="salmon chips" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mkax2o9xZ0s/V1a9Nl4VV4I/AAAAAAABJ0c/arUYQQJYg5Q/s640/blogger-image--1282654944.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We started off with their famous salmon chips. It's basically&nbsp;a homemade spicy barbecue potato chip topped with a spicy mayo, pulled salmon, chives and capers. It was not fishy at all. Just super flavorful with contrasting textures.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-egp0Vprf5YQ/V1a9HYwx0tI/AAAAAAABJ0M/yw1hCblG1b0/s640/blogger-image--1415383876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="warm bread and ricotta" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-egp0Vprf5YQ/V1a9HYwx0tI/AAAAAAABJ0M/yw1hCblG1b0/s640/blogger-image--1415383876.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After our appetizer, they brought out complimentary bread. It was homemade and served with warm ricotta cheese. I haven't been eating that much bread in the past few months, but this was definitely worth the splurge. I also had a gin drink called the Beltline Envy — so refreshing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0s3AWdD0PQ8/V1a9YYPtx7I/AAAAAAABJ0s/9dHmBPxgjtU/s640/blogger-image-1162632365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="brisket" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0s3AWdD0PQ8/V1a9YYPtx7I/AAAAAAABJ0s/9dHmBPxgjtU/s640/blogger-image-1162632365.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the main course, I ordered their brisket which they cook for 12 hours and serve with a homemade espresso bbq sauce. It totally melted in your mouth. I had it again with eggs and sweet potato the next morning.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not a huge potato salad person, but this one was made with bacon so I would wager that it is the best potato salad I've ever had.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2gl_g3ZKXq4/V1a9Qov6NhI/AAAAAAABJ0k/4izbPlMjdIg/s640/blogger-image-18491050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="pork" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2gl_g3ZKXq4/V1a9Qov6NhI/AAAAAAABJ0k/4izbPlMjdIg/s640/blogger-image-18491050.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Matt had the pork served with a salsa verde with rice and beans. Very tasty and even better the next day as leftovers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We didn't end up getting dessert because we'd already had <a href="https://jenis.com/" target="_blank">Jeni's Ice Cream</a> earlier in the day, but I can't wait to go back to try them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you're in the Atlanta area and looking for good food, this is the place to go.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-72181541055635427212016-06-02T18:44:00.000-07:002016-06-03T06:30:51.902-07:00Wedding Dress Shopping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k29m54sIRGE/V1DUdy33VkI/AAAAAAABJzQ/B2HR2hjt-mU/s640/blogger-image-1813476613.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="bhldn chicago" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k29m54sIRGE/V1DUdy33VkI/AAAAAAABJzQ/B2HR2hjt-mU/s640/blogger-image-1813476613.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Matt and I are getting married next Memorial Day and I'm in full wedding planning mode! (Catch <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/search/label/wedding%20planning" target="_blank">up here</a>) Since I work from home, I have the freedom to work wherever so last month I took a week to go back to Chicago and work. While there, I spent time with family and during the weekend we did some wedding planning.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TmYf7CEiAg4/V1DUYml7dTI/AAAAAAABJzA/-e1glbFfUqg/s640/blogger-image-1903900970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="eastman egg breakfast" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TmYf7CEiAg4/V1DUYml7dTI/AAAAAAABJzA/-e1glbFfUqg/s640/blogger-image-1903900970.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My mother in law flew in from Virginia and my sister (and maid of honor) was home from school, so my mom drove us all into Chicago. We started the day at my favorite <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2014/09/the-eastman-egg-company-grand-opening.html" target="_blank">Eastman Egg</a> for a quick brunch. Since I moved, they started making breakfast bowls of all their sandwiches. Perfect for a light breakfast!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IHmpQsYWnEU/V1DUzYtHGLI/AAAAAAABJzY/YJewRk23lCY/s640/blogger-image--238336861.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="jenny yoo dress" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IHmpQsYWnEU/V1DUzYtHGLI/AAAAAAABJzY/YJewRk23lCY/s640/blogger-image--238336861.jpg" title="" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A dress I didn't end up choosing!&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We had two appointments — one at <a href="https://www.jennyyoo.com/" target="_blank">Jenny Yoo</a>&nbsp;and one at <a href="http://www.bhldn.com/" target="_blank">BHLDN</a>. Both are places that I had been looking at online. We started at Jenny Yoo's, our bridal consultant Ashley was fabulous. Since it was my first time trying on dresses, she had me try on multiple different styles which is a great way to see how different silhouettes and fabrics look on your frame.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I ended up loving one&nbsp;dress I would have never chosen on the rack and not so loving the one I had been admiring online. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PAHkmaBs1ug/V1DU2Bf9bsI/AAAAAAABJzg/C--3LBcGUX4/s640/blogger-image-1831873951.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="jenny yoo dress" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PAHkmaBs1ug/V1DU2Bf9bsI/AAAAAAABJzg/C--3LBcGUX4/s640/blogger-image-1831873951.jpg" title="" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another beautiful dress — one I didn't choose!&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">We left for BHLDN and I was pretty confused. I really liked the Jenny Yoo dress and dresses I never would've imagined on me were the kind I really liked. I was ready to try on some more. BHLDN has a beautiful store downtown Chicago. They show all their bridesmaid dresses as well as mannequins with all their wedding styles.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">My squad and I were given our own bridal suite. The ladies were able to relax on couches in our own separate space (drinking champagne!) while I tried on dresses. Similar to Jenny Yoo's, I found definite yes and no dresses. All the dresses were beautiful&nbsp;and I left more confused than when I arrived. I loved two different dresses, in two different styles, at two different stores.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TKjtjUYQF34/V1DUbc0DiqI/AAAAAAABJzI/kmRRjNUYbEQ/s640/blogger-image--675218743.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="bhldn bridesmaid dress" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TKjtjUYQF34/V1DUbc0DiqI/AAAAAAABJzI/kmRRjNUYbEQ/s640/blogger-image--675218743.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After our BHDLN appointment, we went to lunch at <a href="http://www.figandolive.com/locations-reservation/chicago/" target="_blank">Fig &amp; Olive</a> and talked the dresses over. I ended up calling Jenny Yoo's again and was able to stop by at the end of the day to try on the dress one more time. After that, I was ready to make my decision! I'm super excited with the dress that I picked and I can't wait to show it off at the #MulletMatrimony next May.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-52831548453664713212016-05-31T18:22:00.000-07:002016-05-31T18:22:06.128-07:00Chocolate Cherry Protein Shake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7MeemLiuQPk/V040n5y-rAI/AAAAAAABJyc/qOjHdZ8-12o/s640/blogger-image--1856297980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="chocolate cherry protein shake" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7MeemLiuQPk/V040n5y-rAI/AAAAAAABJyc/qOjHdZ8-12o/s640/blogger-image--1856297980.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since I've moved to Atlanta, I've been working from home. I have a nice desk space now and I've been working on building a regular routine so I can switch on between "work mode" and "home mode" without too much effort. It hasn't been easy, but the last week or so has started to feel more normal.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My office is on the West coast so I'm usually on until 6pm EST or later coordinating with them. Luckily, I don't have a crazy commute anymore, but if I don't start prepping dinner until 6:15 or later, I'm usually not eating until 7pm at the earliest. I found myself feeling crabby and tired by the end of the day. After looking at my schedule and realizing there are 7+ hours between lunch and dinner, it's no surprise!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm working to add some more healthy snacks to my repertoire to break up my afternoon and give me some fuel. This is a favorite, especially on busy afternoons, because it's easy to whip up and helps satisfy my sweet tooth.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u>Ingredients</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">8-10 frozen cherries&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/2 c almond milk</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/2 serving of <a href="http://www.purepharma.com/us_en/products/pr3.html" target="_blank">chocolate PR3 protein</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 T unsweetened cocoa powder</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 T almond butter&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Optional toppings: Cacao nibs, chia seeds, unsweetened coconut&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u>Directions</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ol><li>In a&nbsp;blender, add the frozen cherries, almond milk, protein, unsweetened cocoa powder and almond butter. Blend on high until well mixed.&nbsp;</li><li>Top with additional toppings and enjoy.</li></ol><div>*Since it's just an afternoon snack, I only opt for half a serving of protein, but feel free to use the full serving if you want something more substanial.&nbsp;</div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-43173531822699701362016-05-27T05:43:00.002-07:002016-05-27T05:43:49.464-07:00It's All Easy at William Sonoma Cookbook Club <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VCn1FjKUlSY/V0bnxRMDknI/AAAAAAABJxU/hSfi_eVEjpw/s640/blogger-image--1457223929.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="It's All Easy Cookbook" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VCn1FjKUlSY/V0bnxRMDknI/AAAAAAABJxU/hSfi_eVEjpw/s640/blogger-image--1457223929.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Say what you want about <a href="http://goop.com/goop-authors/gwyneth-paltrow/" target="_blank">Gwyneth Paltrow</a> — she makes a mean cookbook. I have her past two cookbooks (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446557315/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0446557315&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=katskit8-20&amp;linkId=ZIRPU6QNSJKVQMX4" target="_blank">My Father's Daughter</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455522716/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1455522716&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=katskit8-20&amp;linkId=QF5SD6WT3XFAY6OR" target="_blank">It's All Good</a>) and have really enjoyed the recipes in them. When I saw that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1455584215/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1455584215&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=katskit8-20&amp;linkId=TABDACFCDMSBYOHQ" target="_blank">It's All Easy</a> was coming out, I was excited to get my hands on a copy. Before I ordered it, I noticed that <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/" target="_blank">William Sonoma</a> was featuring it as part of their Cookbook Club.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For $75 you receive a copy of the cookbook, cooking demonstrations and tastings of three of the recipes. At first, I was wary — if I was going to pay that much, I might as well do a cooking class where I could learn the recipes by doing. And how big was the demonstration? Would it be me looking over the shoulders of everyone else and only getting to try a small sampling?&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The demonstration took place while I was visiting my parents, so my mom and I both bought tickets and headed to her local William Sonoma store. When we got there, a table was set for six people, each with a copy of the cookbook. One of the William Sonoma employees, a chef, was there to talk about the cookbook and show us how to prepare three recipes — the Zuni Chicken, Cacio&nbsp;e Pepe Zoodles and Chocolate Mousse.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She started with the chicken since that had to cook for about 40 minutes in the oven. It was a pretty simple recipe for roast chicken with herbs and lemon. Once that was in the oven, she made us a bonus appetizer— a yummy avocado toast featuring arugula, sriracha mayo and topped with olive oil and Maldon salt. It was salty, spicy, crunchy so obviously, it was delicious.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RfFDs_MS8jo/V0bn0aZhg8I/AAAAAAABJxY/UbAGUTgxSOE/s640/blogger-image--420974921.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="avocado toast" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RfFDs_MS8jo/V0bn0aZhg8I/AAAAAAABJxY/UbAGUTgxSOE/s640/blogger-image--420974921.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After eating the appetizer, she showed us how to use a spiralizer and made spiral noodles out of zucchini for the Cacio e pepe. By the time that was done, she finished off the chicken, including adding bread and making a salad dressing out of the drippings in the pan. We plated the food and enjoyed it all together at the table.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I loved how small it was. I actually got to talk to the people at the table and look through the cookbook with the chef. The food was delicious and like the title, fairly easy to make.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For dessert, she prepared ahead a recipe for chocolate&nbsp;mousse (dairy-free, made with avocado) and made a cashew cream to put on top. I liked it — it was sweetened with brown rice syrup which I've never used before. I've had mousse similar to this, but I may like the <a href="https://youtu.be/Prtcr7xPy1Q?t=27s" target="_blank">other recipe</a> more.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CcHaJiLfFrk/V0bn3erJl7I/AAAAAAABJxc/7Q5K24CsgbI/s640/blogger-image-120039963.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="avocado chocolate mousse" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CcHaJiLfFrk/V0bn3erJl7I/AAAAAAABJxc/7Q5K24CsgbI/s640/blogger-image-120039963.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">So far, I've made a few of the recipes from the cookbook and I really like it. And it turns out after a long day at work, a cooking demonstration involving having someone else cook for you is pretty darn relaxing. I'll be sure to keep my eye on the <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/pages/store-events/store-events/cookbook-club.html" target="_blank">Cookbook Club</a> calendar for more William Sonoma events!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-18985213759488790022016-05-23T18:07:00.000-07:002016-05-23T18:09:30.223-07:00My Favorite Places in Sonoma Wine Country <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1BwICkOQ_IQ/V0OevURJzwI/AAAAAAABJwk/3yKNLtKN98Q/s640/blogger-image--1296988682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="gloria ferrer winery" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1BwICkOQ_IQ/V0OevURJzwI/AAAAAAABJwk/3yKNLtKN98Q/s640/blogger-image--1296988682.jpg" title="" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gloria Ferrer in June</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I've recently had a few friends reach out to me about recommendations in wine country and I've found I have SOO many recommendations that I might as well as just make them into blog posts. This one's&nbsp;for Sonoma, my former home!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cxe3LK6J1tQ/V0Oerti0QKI/AAAAAAABJwg/8buFvQCHV0A/s640/blogger-image-1590725546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cxe3LK6J1tQ/V0Oerti0QKI/AAAAAAABJwg/8buFvQCHV0A/s640/blogger-image-1590725546.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Viansa Winery in June</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Sonoma has a smaller, more rustic feel than Napa. The times I went there, it was more laid back with less of the larger bus and limo tours than in Napa on the weekends. I lived in Sonoma county so Matt and I frequented Sonoma and I especially loved watching the seasons change.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I would say April-October is the best time for wine country. It will be especially busy August-October due to harvest and will be especially hot in July and August, but you'll see the vibrant and beautiful vines and get to be outside.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wPWhxhhJ74A/V0Oeyh0a6II/AAAAAAABJwo/h5MyTwbdkaQ/s640/blogger-image--918004992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wPWhxhhJ74A/V0Oeyh0a6II/AAAAAAABJwo/h5MyTwbdkaQ/s640/blogger-image--918004992.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ravenswood in November<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Staying in Sonoma</b><br /><div>Before we lived there, I stayed in a low-priced <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/785485?euid=d91a12c3-44d6-5200-e57e-85efa1416ca0" target="_blank">Airbnb</a> for a few nights near Sonoma Square (downtown Sonoma). It was quiet, cheap and worked if you are looking to do wine country on a budget.</div><div><br /></div><div>Technically in Marin county, is the <a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&amp;ion=1&amp;espv=2&amp;ie=UTF-8#q=marriot%20courtyard%20novato" target="_blank">Marriot Courtyard Marin/Sonoma</a> which is 20ish minutes from Sonoma. Great place to stay if you'd like to split your time between wine country and San Francisco.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Eating in Sonoma&nbsp;</b></div><div><ul><li><a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2014/12/weekend-in-sonoma.html" target="_blank">The Girl and the Fig</a>: Right downtown Sonoma with incredible food and a great bar.</li><li><a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2015/08/central-market-in-petaluma-ca.html" target="_blank">Central Market</a>: My favorite restaurant in Petaluma. Local, fresh and delicious.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="http://www.acrecoffee.com/" target="_blank">Acre Coffee</a>: My personal favorite coffee in Sonoma.</li></ul><div><b>Wineries in Sonoma</b></div><div><ul><li><a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2015/06/finding-summer-in-june-gloom.html" target="_blank">Gloria Ferrer</a>: Sparkling wines, much lower price point than most sparkling places.&nbsp;</li><li>Viansa: Across the way from Gloria Ferrer, has a beautiful patio and on some Saturdays, live music.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2013/06/dinner-at-cline-cellars-in-sonoma-ca.html" target="_blank">Cline Cellars</a>: Beautiful barrel room and good wine!&nbsp;</li><li><a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2014/12/weekend-in-sonoma.html" target="_blank">Ravenswood</a>: My favorite. Famous for the zin — super relaxed atmosphere and great people.&nbsp;</li><li><a class="" href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2014/12/weekend-in-sonoma.html" target="_blank">Kendall Jackson</a>: Beautiful estate, farther up north in Sonoma. Supposed to have great food as well.&nbsp;</li><li>Simi: Closer to Healdsburg. Small tasting room, bike friendly!</li><li><a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2013/07/rodney-strong-vineyards.html" target="_blank">Rodney Strong</a>: Closer to Healdsburg. Beautiful property.</li><li><a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2015/10/a-tasting-at-sonoma-aperitif.html" target="_blank">Sonoma Aperitif</a>: Wine-based aperitifs all made by the owner.&nbsp;</li></ul><div>I was able to visit all of these without a reservation for just a tasting, but if you're interested in doing a tour, I would definitely call ahead. I really enjoyed the tours at Ravenswood — you get to see the property and hear interesting stories about how the winery began.<br /><br />Looking to go farther north? Here's a post about <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2016/02/a-roadtrip-to-mendocino-county.html" target="_blank">Mendocino County</a> and its wine region.&nbsp;</div></div></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-34532199171013040002016-05-23T06:02:00.000-07:002016-05-23T06:02:17.387-07:00Monday Mashup 5.23.16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Monday's back and here's what I'm missing from recent weekends.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-31LBfHsM6dY/V0L-MUPYcGI/AAAAAAABJwE/FQsAeHnynhw/s640/blogger-image-1900796520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="yummy salad" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-31LBfHsM6dY/V0L-MUPYcGI/AAAAAAABJwE/FQsAeHnynhw/s640/blogger-image-1900796520.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1. Salmon and shrimp salad from <a href="http://www.figandolive.com/" target="_blank">Fig and Olive</a> in Chicago.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m3nfFD7_cX4/V0L-Jva8dCI/AAAAAAABJwA/Eqboi9tWLM0/s640/blogger-image-646929100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="dog friends" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m3nfFD7_cX4/V0L-Jva8dCI/AAAAAAABJwA/Eqboi9tWLM0/s640/blogger-image-646929100.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2. Sadie and her best friend Tilly.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u-PT9F0hiV0/V0L-G0WxpcI/AAAAAAABJv8/6NXZj0DGJqk/s640/blogger-image--1133700468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sister" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u-PT9F0hiV0/V0L-G0WxpcI/AAAAAAABJv8/6NXZj0DGJqk/s640/blogger-image--1133700468.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3. Hanging out with my sister. Good luck to her as she starts her new internship today!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-krj83H2eAxE/V0L-PczQEeI/AAAAAAABJwI/8hcOOzYpMNs/s640/blogger-image-1470270622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="danish kringle" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-krj83H2eAxE/V0L-PczQEeI/AAAAAAABJwI/8hcOOzYpMNs/s640/blogger-image-1470270622.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">4. I grew up having this Kringle at Christmastime in Chicago and just found it in the frozen section at my Atlanta Trader Joes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hlnn6sLYWX8/V0L-SDXqZcI/AAAAAAABJwM/39FAxJ7niHo/s640/blogger-image--182768815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="paddleboard yoga" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hlnn6sLYWX8/V0L-SDXqZcI/AAAAAAABJwM/39FAxJ7niHo/s640/blogger-image--182768815.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">5. Paddleboard yoga on Lake Lanier.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Have a great week!&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-1061167403770282292016-04-13T03:00:00.000-07:002016-04-13T06:24:14.111-07:00Wedding Planning: Asking My Bridesmaids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Honestly guys — I'll tell anyone that picking bridesmaids is by far the hardest part of wedding planning thus far. I have a lot of really good friends and after looking at the list, it was either ask everyone or a select few. I decided to keep it small and simple — four girls, from four seasons of my life.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bLPi2obPY6g/VwrxizOC4tI/AAAAAAABIy8/C--yc_3YvS0/s640/blogger-image--99188596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="asking bridesmaids" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bLPi2obPY6g/VwrxizOC4tI/AAAAAAABIy8/C--yc_3YvS0/s640/blogger-image--99188596.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When it came to asking them, I wanted something that I could DIY (yay creative energy from moving) without getting out of hand and also represent my wedding.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I was initially inspired by EliseJoy's DIY wedding —she asked her bridesmaids with a beautiful&nbsp;<a href="http://eliseblaha.typepad.com/golden/2009/03/envelope-pocket-love.html" target="_blank">envelope pocket</a>&nbsp;filled with some info cards.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pPrRP7wIPWM/VwryTjLw6hI/AAAAAAABIzE/2lBiuJIhgNM/s640/blogger-image--883551056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="bridesmaid cards" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pPrRP7wIPWM/VwryTjLw6hI/AAAAAAABIzE/2lBiuJIhgNM/s640/blogger-image--883551056.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I decorated the outside with washi tape and a champagne flute 3-D sticker. I added a circle sticker and wrote "Will you be my bridesmaid?"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZzdmfCsbQHI/VwrxmMFP3hI/AAAAAAABIzA/Xvnul3TDgtA/s640/blogger-image-1871805514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cards for bridesmaid" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZzdmfCsbQHI/VwrxmMFP3hI/AAAAAAABIzA/Xvnul3TDgtA/s640/blogger-image-1871805514.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Inside is the pocket envelope that I mentioned. I simple slipped two envelopes together and covered the flap with this pretty succulent paper from Paper Source. My colors are navy, green and gold so I thought this represented my wedding well :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lLgovdc0dbU/VwryWX2ChyI/AAAAAAABIzI/DblTdAl4eiY/s640/blogger-image--1314881521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="asking my bridesmaid" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lLgovdc0dbU/VwryWX2ChyI/AAAAAAABIzI/DblTdAl4eiY/s640/blogger-image--1314881521.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Inside I put four cards: 1. When: dates and times for events that are already in the works like the rehearsal dinner, wedding, etc., 2. Who: a brief introduction to everyone in the wedding party&nbsp;+ their Instagram username 3. Wear: <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2016/03/wedding-planning-choosing-bridesmaid.html" target="_blank">the dresses</a> I've already picked out and 4. What: a bit more about the wedding.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZTk43pvENJc/VwryZURy7aI/AAAAAAABIzM/eaeTLzR-Tgw/s640/blogger-image--1027876192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="wedding planning" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZTk43pvENJc/VwryZURy7aI/AAAAAAABIzM/eaeTLzR-Tgw/s640/blogger-image--1027876192.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I bought A6 cards from Paper Source and set up the size in Word to make these little cards. They still didn't print totally centered, but they work.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Yj0nQmDbkfw/Vwr2xa27N-I/AAAAAAABIzc/b2THmCmIwL0/s640/blogger-image-1513914968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="airplant cork magnets" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Yj0nQmDbkfw/Vwr2xa27N-I/AAAAAAABIzc/b2THmCmIwL0/s640/blogger-image-1513914968.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In addition to the envelope pocket, I included a picture frame and jewelry dish (from <a href="http://www.hobbylobby.com/" target="_blank">Hobby Lobby</a>) as well as an <a href="https://www.etsy.com/transaction/1124744352" target="_blank">airplant cork magnet</a>. Got to give it a little Katy flavor.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Zn30sSlWjfk/Vwr2uHKV79I/AAAAAAABIzY/OMCcx5UjU04/s640/blogger-image--1201947726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="asking my bridesmaids" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Zn30sSlWjfk/Vwr2uHKV79I/AAAAAAABIzY/OMCcx5UjU04/s640/blogger-image--1201947726.jpg" title="" /></a></div>I'm so excited to have my ladies by my side. Now that we're getting settled in Atlanta, it's time for Matt and I to get down to planning.</div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-48204650142088022432016-04-11T06:23:00.000-07:002016-04-11T06:23:00.181-07:00Monday Mashup 4.11.16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We've made it to Monday friends. Here's my Monday Mashup — a little weekend catch up and some things I'm loving that are helping me survive the first day of the work week.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3O5fwsax_5o/Vwr6WOs_SdI/AAAAAAABIzw/sYpNB6Uf3wg/s640/blogger-image-346745795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3O5fwsax_5o/Vwr6WOs_SdI/AAAAAAABIzw/sYpNB6Uf3wg/s640/blogger-image-346745795.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1. <a href="http://www.piedmontpark.org/" target="_blank">Piedmont Park </a>– Matt have made it there multiple times now. I love how its right off the <a href="http://beltline.org/" target="_blank">beltline</a>.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WdhH2tYBOYc/Vwr6b9FDCDI/AAAAAAABIz4/xqHR1-1ZwZQ/s640/blogger-image--321054678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WdhH2tYBOYc/Vwr6b9FDCDI/AAAAAAABIz4/xqHR1-1ZwZQ/s640/blogger-image--321054678.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2. <a href="http://www.poncecitymarket.com/" target="_blank">Ponce City Market</a> — specifically this avocado toast with a fried egg from Spiller Park Coffee.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S68lUKKnCi4/Vwr6ZHCV3dI/AAAAAAABIz0/J6_2fPFzh8Q/s640/blogger-image--1999907964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S68lUKKnCi4/Vwr6ZHCV3dI/AAAAAAABIz0/J6_2fPFzh8Q/s640/blogger-image--1999907964.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. My nut mix inspired by my work friend Anais — your favorite nuts, unsweetened coconut and chopped dates. So tasty with just a little bit of sweet.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S5oXtxU-LME/Vwr6QYJaN6I/AAAAAAABIzo/WJAjFbYLOV8/s640/blogger-image-1410427687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S5oXtxU-LME/Vwr6QYJaN6I/AAAAAAABIzo/WJAjFbYLOV8/s640/blogger-image-1410427687.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">4. Sadie and her friend Tilly. This picture can make me smile no matter what mood I'm in.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JYVfaGwkZ9c/Vwr6TO1E9aI/AAAAAAABIzs/Ow3LjoebPgU/s640/blogger-image--1299685707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JYVfaGwkZ9c/Vwr6TO1E9aI/AAAAAAABIzs/Ow3LjoebPgU/s640/blogger-image--1299685707.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">5. New ceramic skillets from T-Fal — they are dishwasher safe which is the best.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I also made these yummy <a href="http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/morning-glory-muffins/" target="_blank">Morning Glory muffins</a> to start the week. Hang in there — you've got this.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-49412322780417913292016-03-25T05:48:00.000-07:002016-03-25T09:01:08.578-07:00Last Weekend in Wine Country<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After a day of trying on <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2016/03/wedding-planning-choosing-bridesmaid.html" target="_blank">bridesmaid dresses</a>, Elyse and I headed to wine country for what would be my last (!) trip there for awhile. For the last year, I lived in Sonoma county and frequented wine country at least once a month so its sad to be saying goodbye without knowing when I'll be back. We decided to celebrate by trying a few new wineries.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V6BH9-XA93g/VvHk2e01hKI/AAAAAAABH7o/Vmbss_Ka5xo/s640/blogger-image--789177196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Etude winery" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V6BH9-XA93g/VvHk2e01hKI/AAAAAAABH7o/Vmbss_Ka5xo/s640/blogger-image--789177196.jpg" title="" /></a>Winery 1: <a href="http://shop.etudewines.com/" target="_blank">Etude Winery</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yummy chardonnays, delicious pinots and a beautiful tasting room. Obsessed with the light and airy look here.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wADxuw3dAEM/VvHk5nzAf8I/AAAAAAABH7s/Ey-uMURZFzY/s640/blogger-image--1632468331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="velo vino" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wADxuw3dAEM/VvHk5nzAf8I/AAAAAAABH7s/Ey-uMURZFzY/s640/blogger-image--1632468331.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Winery 2: <a href="https://www.cliffamilywinery.com/velo_vino.cfm" target="_blank">Velo Vino Tasting Room</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This fun tasting room is owned by Clif Family wineries (of Clif bars!) and served us some tasty nuts and chocolate along with our glasses. They are also home to the famous <a href="https://www.cliffamilywinery.com/food_truck.cfm" target="_blank">Bruschetta food truck</a> on the weekends so we had a delicious lunch from there while we enjoyed our wine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KhU2Zm6z584/VvHkzFxfhWI/AAAAAAABH7k/A8FF_cUu1Vc/s640/blogger-image--1860228236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Elyse winery" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KhU2Zm6z584/VvHkzFxfhWI/AAAAAAABH7k/A8FF_cUu1Vc/s640/blogger-image--1860228236.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Winery 3: <a href="http://www.elysewinery.com/home.html" target="_blank">Elyse Winery</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">We made an appointment here purely because of the name and found a quaint and friendly tasting room that is even home to a lovely pup. We enjoyed the wine and conversation.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Bye bye for now Napa!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-80809211302835785992016-03-22T17:28:00.000-07:002016-09-15T08:06:03.598-07:00Wedding Planning: Choosing a Bridesmaid Dress<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jkxY_oAuf6k/VvHYtZNgsrI/AAAAAAABH7U/KQCpNVW54CM/s640/blogger-image-630774436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jkxY_oAuf6k/VvHYtZNgsrI/AAAAAAABH7U/KQCpNVW54CM/s640/blogger-image-630774436.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Update (9/15/16): Weddington Way has since changed their product offerings After seeing the quality and styles of what they have available and some unfortunate&nbsp;customer service issues, I would no longer recommend using Weddington Way for bridesmaid dresses.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It's been a month since my last post — the past few weeks have been crazy as I've made my way across the country. I'm currently visiting my parents in Chicago before I head to my final destination in Atlanta after Easter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My last weekend in California coincided with a friends business trip so she was able to spend the weekend with me. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BCodXMlsqvK/?taken-by=keightyeight" target="_blank">Elyse</a> has been my friend since we were less than two years old. We've rarely lived in the same place, but she's always been by my side so before I even decided on my bridal party, it was a given that she was in it. (Honestly, I think Elyse is even more excited for my wedding than I am).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I had bigger things to worry about than bridesmaid dresses (you know, moving across the country, setting a date and finding a venue), but I knew from the start that I would be using <a href="https://www.weddingtonway.com/" target="_blank">Weddington Way</a>.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">A few summers ago, I was in my friend <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/c2Xlrhsqld/?taken-by=keightyeight" target="_blank">Paige's wedding</a> and she used the site. She chose several options and all the bridesmaids got to comment and vote until we came up with a decision. It was perfect option for a bridal party where each bridesmaid was in a different state.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">They have tons of styles and options and I love their advanced search feature – you can sort the dresses by price point, color, length, material....you name it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I started looking at some of their options and learned that Weddington is based in SF and that they currently had a pop up shop. Elyse and I made an appointment and stopped by when I was in town.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">All I really knew is that I wanted cocktail-style dress for the girls to wear. In my showroom online, I chose a few that fit my vision.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Once we arrived at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.weddingtonway.com/lovepopshop" target="_blank">Love Pop Shop</a>, we were greeted with glasses of champagne. Our assigned stylist then pulled several of the dresses I had chosen online for Elyse to try on. They had all the dresses in racks by designer and all of my choices were from the same rack which made defining my style pretty easy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Within an hour Elyse had tried on several dresses and had narrowed it down to the final choice after Facetiming my sister. I can't wait to ask my bridesmaids (coming soon!) and show them the beautiful Audrey Hepburn style dress we picked out :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Check out my other <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/search/label/wedding%20planning" target="_blank">wedding planning </a>updates.&nbsp;</div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-29209232771063262222016-02-26T02:00:00.000-08:002016-02-26T02:00:27.617-08:00Wedding Planning: Setting a Date<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-M5SirZn7jp0/VsqHyVSJloI/AAAAAAABHYk/c3wZ05q5ctc/s640/blogger-image-479130715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wedding Planning" border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-M5SirZn7jp0/VsqHyVSJloI/AAAAAAABHYk/c3wZ05q5ctc/s640/blogger-image-479130715.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once we realized we'd be planning a cross-country move and Matt would be in sales training program that would require some travel, we took a look at 2016 and said "Ehh, let's not stress ourselves out."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm not going to lie, I thought those couples were annoying. You know those couples. The ones that get engaged and have a forever engagement. I looked at it and thought "You can plan a wedding in a year!" Which you can. You can plan a wedding in even less, but with all the other variables happening this year, we decided to savor each season and have a long engagement.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We're getting married on May 27, 2017 in Naperville, IL, where I grew up. Yes that is a full year and half after we got engaged, but with everything going on with our move and Matt's job, we feel like we can get adequately settled, put down roots in a new city and plan a fabulous party without the unnecessary stress of a crunched timeline.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We're excited to be entering this new season as a couple and are even more excited to get down to the wedding planning details once we've moved :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-85784061564650216342016-02-24T01:00:00.000-08:002016-02-24T01:00:14.123-08:00A Roadtrip to Mendocino County<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I've been living out in Sonoma county and love going to wine country. Matt and I have gotten tons of recommendations to different wineries and areas and so many people recommended Mendocino county which is northwest of Sonoma, on the coast. After getting engaged, Matt and I decided to celebrate by doing a little weekend getaway where we could go hiking, wine tasting and see the beautiful California coast. Here are some pictures from the trip.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7rsodxXLRnU/VsqHsYFKC_I/AAAAAAABHYc/-glxPs3pid0/s640/blogger-image--705846057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7rsodxXLRnU/VsqHsYFKC_I/AAAAAAABHYc/-glxPs3pid0/s640/blogger-image--705846057.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy granola from <a href="http://www.plankcoffee.com/" target="_blank">PLANK</a> in Cloverdale</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GIZwkIhoeS8/VsqHfHUkPPI/AAAAAAABHYM/0FXAt5O6fLc/s640/blogger-image-1315518927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GIZwkIhoeS8/VsqHfHUkPPI/AAAAAAABHYM/0FXAt5O6fLc/s640/blogger-image-1315518927.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wine tasting at <a href="http://www.goldeneyewinery.com/" target="_blank">Goldeneye Winer</a>y. We also liked <a href="http://www.toulousevineyards.com/" target="_blank">Toulouse</a>.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tEwHisb7ZwM/VsqHZ5wKqAI/AAAAAAABHYE/lX39ppYk57M/s640/blogger-image-1677265017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tEwHisb7ZwM/VsqHZ5wKqAI/AAAAAAABHYE/lX39ppYk57M/s640/blogger-image-1677265017.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stops at every beach.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t9aZ6UQfICg/VsqHcS4EMrI/AAAAAAABHYI/9gqyi0fLzc8/s640/blogger-image-961671083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t9aZ6UQfICg/VsqHcS4EMrI/AAAAAAABHYI/9gqyi0fLzc8/s640/blogger-image-961671083.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sunset at Mendocino point.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J_42iJaw3RM/VsqHixB9beI/AAAAAAABHYQ/eOC5_DkkgBk/s640/blogger-image--1341274311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J_42iJaw3RM/VsqHixB9beI/AAAAAAABHYQ/eOC5_DkkgBk/s640/blogger-image--1341274311.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our lovely <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/2918153?eluid=0&amp;euid=00132362-302d-558f-f71f-0e76b335409b" target="_blank">B&amp;B</a>! The BEST breakfast.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8mdLkfM9udY/VsqHvPoAX7I/AAAAAAABHYg/tjfihOkdxLw/s640/blogger-image-1173755647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8mdLkfM9udY/VsqHvPoAX7I/AAAAAAABHYg/tjfihOkdxLw/s640/blogger-image-1173755647.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring Mendocino</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4RbU22f4Jq0/VsqHmwhp9qI/AAAAAAABHYU/4ISjOuoYB5I/s640/blogger-image--25175474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4RbU22f4Jq0/VsqHmwhp9qI/AAAAAAABHYU/4ISjOuoYB5I/s640/blogger-image--25175474.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking at Russian Gulch State Park</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8GchpUKTAvo/VsqHpz0uinI/AAAAAAABHYY/-dYGzH65Ol8/s640/blogger-image--372782083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8GchpUKTAvo/VsqHpz0uinI/AAAAAAABHYY/-dYGzH65Ol8/s640/blogger-image--372782083.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm going to miss this coast!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">We also had a fabulous dinner at <a href="http://www.wild-fish.com/" target="_blank">Wild Fish</a>&nbsp;and some good beer at <a href="http://avbc.com/" target="_blank">Anderson Valley Brewing Company</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-19342811288357033222016-02-21T19:55:00.000-08:002016-02-22T08:26:35.262-08:00Moving...Again<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f8sMSKN-qMA/VsqCdocxuZI/AAAAAAABHX0/-D-N6YiKg74/s640/blogger-image--19822721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f8sMSKN-qMA/VsqCdocxuZI/AAAAAAABHX0/-D-N6YiKg74/s640/blogger-image--19822721.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So friends, I'm moving to Atlanta. Depending on how long you've been following this blog, you've seen me <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2012_06_01_archive.html" target="_blank">studying abroad</a> in Rome, going to <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2013/02/fruit-pizza.html" target="_blank">school</a> in Dayton, Ohio, <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2013/05/katy-without-kitchen.html" target="_blank">interning</a> in California (without a kitchen), back in Ohio <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2014/04/high-five-for-friday.html" target="_blank">finishing school</a>, working in <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2014/07/high-five-for-friday-71114.html" target="_blank">Chicago</a>&nbsp;and then moving out to <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2015/02/the-big-move.html" target="_blank">California</a> a year ago. I've been busy friends.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This will be my fourth state in four years and my second cross-country move in a year. It's a lot.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last year I moved out here after I accepted an awesome job and was super excited to be closer to Matt. A lot happened over the past year — we grew a ton, got engaged and finally decided that we're through with long distance. Matt originally started a job hunt in the Bay area to be closer to me and got accepted into an awesome sales program that wants him to move across the country.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It wasn't an easy decision — there's so much more we want to do in California and I don't want to leave my job, but after looking it over, it really will be the best move for us. We'll finally be together, in a much cheaper area and much closer to family and friends. One major thing we nailed down this year is our priorities as a couple and a future family. Family and friends is a huge one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After getting over the initial shock, I am excited. I'm incredibly bummed to leave this place, but I know I'll be back. I talked to my company and I will be staying on remotely and hopefully making it back once a quarter for planning so I'm not saying goodbye to CA forever.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I moved out here last year, we didn't know how long it would be, but we guessed it wouldn't be forever. We don't know if Atlanta will be forever, but we're excited to put down roots and build a community. I did a good job of that out here on my own, but I'm excited to explore and meet new people with Matt.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Things will be pretty quiet here the next few weeks. I'll post updates when I can!</div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-5059757414717867152016-01-29T07:04:00.000-08:002016-01-29T07:04:08.925-08:00Best Football Dip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-849ptzFyxZU/VqWkYn5ZNmI/AAAAAAABGZ4/KCZltdjxa7c/s640/blogger-image--829112190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="superbowl appetizer dip" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-849ptzFyxZU/VqWkYn5ZNmI/AAAAAAABGZ4/KCZltdjxa7c/s640/blogger-image--829112190.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">With the Superbowl coming up, I know what I'm making — my mom's Mexican dip! This recipe has been in our family for over 25 years and people request it at most family gatherings (even Thanksgiving!). It's cheesy, meaty and as Matt says "A meal on a chip!" I like to make it up the night before and leave it in the fridge so that all I have to do is pop it in the oven before the game starts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Ingredients:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">8 oz. cream cheese</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S80POSW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B00S80POSW&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=katskit8-20&amp;linkId=TSXDVIMFWWTO6N4X" rel="nofollow">1 can Diced Green Chiles</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=katskit8-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B00S80POSW" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004S036FO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B004S036FO&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=katskit8-20&amp;linkId=SY3HIY35RCTA4LO6" rel="nofollow">1 can Hormel Chili No Beans</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=katskit8-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=B004S036FO" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 bag of Mexican Cheese blend</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3 green onions, sliced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Directions:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">1. Let cream cheese sit out on the counter to soften for 30 minutes. Once softened, use a spoon to spread across the bottom of a casserole dish that's at least 9x9.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. After you've spread the cream cheese, add the can of green chiles. Spread evenly across.</div><div style="text-align: left;">3. Sprinkle about half of the bag of Mexican cheese blend for layer three.</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. For the next layer — spoon out the chili across the pan and spread with a spatula.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. Top the chili with the remaining Mexican cheese blend and green onions.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;">6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until the edges start to bubble.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-21045135970030261152016-01-27T01:30:00.000-08:002016-01-27T06:51:22.364-08:00Baked Berry Oatmeal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Zh70GwAm5v0/VqWkTD1xCBI/AAAAAAABGZw/6l4R0T90ghg/s640/blogger-image--1828942921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Zh70GwAm5v0/VqWkTD1xCBI/AAAAAAABGZw/6l4R0T90ghg/s640/blogger-image--1828942921.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ugh cooking, am I right? I feel heretical to be talking about how much I dislike cooking as a semi-food blogger, but with my current commute, I'm learning anything to speed up the process. I'm cutting corners, buying things pre-cut and doing lots of meal prep so things are ready in advance for me to warm up or just start eating.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Breakfast is particularly hard. I really enjoy my sleep, but need to be on the road by 6:30 AM if I want to beat traffic (and have a chance of being in by 8). I've done overnight oats and smoothies, but on a cold morning, the last thing I want to eat is something, well, cold.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I decided to make some baked oats because they are easy to portion out for 4 meals throughout the week and can either be heated it up or eaten on the spot. I used the last of my frozen summer berries and these oats were so delicious :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Ingredients</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">2 c old fashioned oats</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">4 c almond milk (or regular)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 t salt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/2 t cinnamon</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">3/4 c berries</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 c raisins</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 T chia seeds</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1/4 c chopped nuts (I love walnuts)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sweetener: I found the berries &amp; raisins to add enough sweetness, but feel free to add your favorites!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Directions</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ol><li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking dish.</li><li>Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and pour into the dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes.&nbsp;</li><li>Let cool and it will set. Then you can portion it out and then heat it up when you're ready to eat!</li></ol><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-89003280075399700342016-01-24T20:40:00.002-08:002016-01-25T08:08:47.146-08:00Winter Reads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lSpwY_Cv4KI/VqWkOWTLi0I/AAAAAAABGZo/Io-MFh54f8Y/s640/blogger-image-1654125825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="rainbow" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lSpwY_Cv4KI/VqWkOWTLi0I/AAAAAAABGZo/Io-MFh54f8Y/s640/blogger-image-1654125825.jpg" title="" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Been reading some good books lately! Here's a few of my favorites:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607747308/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1607747308&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=katskit8-20&amp;linkId=XM3ANEQWSG3XYW7V" rel="nofollow">The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=katskit8-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=1607747308" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's been on the New York Times best seller list as the best way to purge and organize your stuff. It was a pretty quick read with some very actionable tips. As Matt and I plan to merge our stuff, I've been using the idea of asking if each item brings me joy. It's not only helped me get rid of some items, but its also helped me realize the sheer amount of stuff I have. Super helpful.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0785263705/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0785263705&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=katskit8-20&amp;linkId=EGCRYFLZAYDSHAWH" rel="nofollow">Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=katskit8-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0785263705" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A little late to the party on this one — it came out over ten years ago, but Donald Miller's thoughts and questions about spirituality and being a Christian in America are still relevant. I found myself thinking "YES, someone else feels like this!" so many times.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062024701/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0062024701&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=katskit8-20&amp;linkId=SWYHL2IW7RPJLTJQ" rel="nofollow">Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book I</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=katskit8-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0062024701" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pretty sure this is actually geared towards young adults, but I picked it up on my trip to Portland. It's written by one of the members of the Decemberists and tells an adventure story about a girl that goes into a fantasy world to save her brother. It deals with pretty complex themes and has some very charming characters.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307352153/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0307352153&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=katskit8-20&amp;linkId=QNOIT3IUTL5G2YEF" rel="nofollow">Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking</a><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=katskit8-20&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0307352153" height="1" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This book has been on my list for awhile and I feel like I read it at a time that I needed it. I used to consider myself an ambivert — I feel like an introvert, but can easily act like an extrovert when needed. This book really helped answer the questions I've had about fighting myself (and stressing myself out) to be more extroverted. It helped me understand that its ok to be introvert in an extrovert world and that there are even some great advantages. Obviously, I'll never stop needed to turn on my extroverted side, but it helped me accept that its ok to be sensitive and its not a sign of weakness to need time to yourself.&nbsp;</div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-63030270612298851872016-01-22T01:30:00.000-08:002016-01-24T21:09:06.029-08:00Olompali State Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JJ0bxbW8beQ/VqWk1-A5CGI/AAAAAAABGaQ/_0KJCMcCdFk/s640/blogger-image-1919522832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JJ0bxbW8beQ/VqWk1-A5CGI/AAAAAAABGaQ/_0KJCMcCdFk/s640/blogger-image-1919522832.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Matt and I are trying to explore as much as we can out here. We loveeee hiking. Last Saturday it rained a bit during the first half of the day and then cleared it to blue skies and rainbows. The cloud didn't look too far off so we didn't want to venture too far and get stuck in a rainstorm. I remembered a state park that I pass on the highway everyday that is only about 15 minutes from my place so we decided to check it out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=465" target="_blank">Olompali State Park</a> has a pretty crazy past. Originally inhabited by the Miwok people, it's also the site of a violent battle, was used as a ranch and retreat for Jesuit priests and ended up being home to hippy commune (including The Grateful Dead) before it became a park. You can take the Loop trail for a great hike around the property.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-el5w5PO-ae4/VqWkxZcpUKI/AAAAAAABGaI/avWCYCVEtqs/s640/blogger-image-859136961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-el5w5PO-ae4/VqWkxZcpUKI/AAAAAAABGaI/avWCYCVEtqs/s640/blogger-image-859136961.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big trees!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DRho-5s4Tlw/VqWksh-GyuI/AAAAAAABGaA/tmarWfZ2Whs/s640/blogger-image-940817992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DRho-5s4Tlw/VqWksh-GyuI/AAAAAAABGaA/tmarWfZ2Whs/s640/blogger-image-940817992.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eBNLS9UtwMc/VqWqN8DEOrI/AAAAAAABGag/cfaUGF_5_7Q/s640/blogger-image-1556242617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eBNLS9UtwMc/VqWqN8DEOrI/AAAAAAABGag/cfaUGF_5_7Q/s640/blogger-image-1556242617.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z-G7fv1LueY/VqWrNG2GbQI/AAAAAAABGao/MHTyQy7_DOU/s640/blogger-image--1662508631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z-G7fv1LueY/VqWrNG2GbQI/AAAAAAABGao/MHTyQy7_DOU/s640/blogger-image--1662508631.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the blue sky and green grass after the rains.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YvmN353BpWs/VqWrRsF1T8I/AAAAAAABGaw/vlFGyQUy8Y4/s640/blogger-image-1755246871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YvmN353BpWs/VqWrRsF1T8I/AAAAAAABGaw/vlFGyQUy8Y4/s640/blogger-image-1755246871.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com1Olompali, Novato, CA 94945, USA38.153654 -122.5783680000000112.631619500000003 -163.886962 63.675688500000007 -81.269774000000012tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-86482973494633019842016-01-20T01:30:00.000-08:002016-01-20T01:30:07.825-08:00Wedding Planning: Getting Started<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zrkueXIL1ik/VpxsZd9Br1I/AAAAAAABGYU/f3sMiXFQKJw/s640/blogger-image--40956327.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="getting started with wedding planning" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zrkueXIL1ik/VpxsZd9Br1I/AAAAAAABGYU/f3sMiXFQKJw/s640/blogger-image--40956327.jpg" title="" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>If there's one question I keep getting (and still can't answer), it's "Have you set a date?" Pretty shortly after getting engaged, we started planning, but I've been in and out of town so I haven't had a ton of time to make decisions. I work a lot so I knew that I would need help wedding planning.<br /><br />As of right now, we don't have plans to hire anyone to do wedding planning. I've checked out a bunch of tools and I think I've found the best option for me to stay organized. At work I use a project management tool called Trello (which I love) and they already have a <a href="http://blog.trello.com/say-yes-to-less-stress-using-trello-to-plan-a-wedding/" target="_blank">wedding planning board</a> set up.<br /><br />I liked this over other tools because you can assign tasks to people, move them through a project flow of "In Progress" and "Done", add comments, as well as attach documents and pictures. They also have a great app that allows you to take it all with you wherever you go. You can customize any of the columns and add tasks specific to whatever you choose for your day.<br /><br />I compared the actual tasks and timing on the board to several other sites and lists and it is totally in line with everything else I looked at.<br /><br />I'm also using sites like <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/katy_utter/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, <a href="http://www.stylemepretty.com/" target="_blank">Style Me Pretty</a> and <a href="http://apracticalwedding.com/" target="_blank">A Practical Wedding</a> for inspiration and tips. I was so impressed by a <a href="http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/9/d/9/9d91a0f031d10334/megkeene.m4a?c_id=10634595&amp;expiration=1453095123&amp;hwt=48fcda44e7301e7babd2cd65b1a5f486" target="_blank">recent podcast</a> with <a href="http://apracticalwedding.com/author/meg/" target="_blank">Meg Keene</a> that I bought both of her books on wedding planning as well.<br /><br />So far we've put together a rough guest list so we can have a number to talk to vendors with and we're working on nailing down which city we're going to get married in and then from there lock down a venue and date. After that — all the fun stuff.Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-91044616298359654062016-01-17T20:20:00.000-08:002016-01-17T20:20:14.155-08:00A Short Trip to Copenhagen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This past week I had the opportunity to visit my company's headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark. I found it to be pretty similar to Chicago — cold, gray, dark, but the Danes have found their own ways to stay warm and cozy (<a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2012/01/30/146080892/winter-doldrums-got-you-down-have-some-hygge" target="_blank">hygge</a>). Candles are literally everywhere — little tealights in the windowsill, big wax dripping pillar candles lining the stairs and tapers on tables. I loved how cozy it felt.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are a few pictures from my trip.&nbsp;</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4Q7QN52MWvg/VpxjchTAlRI/AAAAAAABGXo/fRtZInqEVpI/s640/blogger-image--1962159441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4Q7QN52MWvg/VpxjchTAlRI/AAAAAAABGXo/fRtZInqEVpI/s640/blogger-image--1962159441.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun rises late and sets early since its so far North. This was taken around lunch time.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2lE7CHrAyCk/Vpxk4VPKtgI/AAAAAAABGX0/MtsOJBTMAio/s640/blogger-image-592178007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2lE7CHrAyCk/Vpxk4VPKtgI/AAAAAAABGX0/MtsOJBTMAio/s640/blogger-image-592178007.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gym at our office.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r6UySlTujOU/Vpxk9GKdFaI/AAAAAAABGX8/i3N2qmB3SJU/s640/blogger-image--1406039936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r6UySlTujOU/Vpxk9GKdFaI/AAAAAAABGX8/i3N2qmB3SJU/s640/blogger-image--1406039936.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bECkLY37_fg/VpxiwpDBlbI/AAAAAAABGXQ/_qbH_LnSy_0/s640/blogger-image--1102872689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bECkLY37_fg/VpxiwpDBlbI/AAAAAAABGXQ/_qbH_LnSy_0/s640/blogger-image--1102872689.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious sushi :)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--a_I13Wl4B4/VpxlCJDtwYI/AAAAAAABGYE/o8n9BI9U7IU/s640/blogger-image-620495811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--a_I13Wl4B4/VpxlCJDtwYI/AAAAAAABGYE/o8n9BI9U7IU/s640/blogger-image-620495811.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't forget dessert.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qefBjstbgw8/VpxjYPk663I/AAAAAAABGXg/WWbxqiEspLE/s640/blogger-image--2095954853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qefBjstbgw8/VpxjYPk663I/AAAAAAABGXg/WWbxqiEspLE/s640/blogger-image--2095954853.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.perchstearoom.dk/" target="_blank">Perch's tea</a> being measured.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r3LgJNjGwsA/VpxjTPN4vYI/AAAAAAABGXY/pN5-QaiXzGo/s640/blogger-image-1379074718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r3LgJNjGwsA/VpxjTPN4vYI/AAAAAAABGXY/pN5-QaiXzGo/s640/blogger-image-1379074718.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a flødboller. (marzipan, creamy marshmallow covered in chocolate)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">Most of my short time there was spent working, but here are a few recommendations:</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.perchstearoom.dk/" target="_blank">A. C. Perch's Tea</a>&nbsp;— I love their rooibos&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://summerbird.dk/" target="_blank">Summerbird Organic Chocolate</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sushi.dk/" target="_blank">Sticks'n'Sushi</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.madklubben.dk/en/bistro-royal/" target="_blank">Bistro Royal</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://cofoco.dk/en/restaurants/les-trois-cochons/" target="_blank">Les Trois Cochons&nbsp;</a></li></ul><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-46260205255306519252016-01-06T02:00:00.000-08:002016-01-06T15:58:24.140-08:002016 Goals + My Word for the Year<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ibOme3jsOI4/VonIBIn6XcI/AAAAAAABGCQ/QzA-lxH1lng/s640/blogger-image--1224657207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Word of the Year" border="0" height="300" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ibOme3jsOI4/VonIBIn6XcI/AAAAAAABGCQ/QzA-lxH1lng/s400/blogger-image--1224657207.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div>Last year, instead of making resolutions, I joined <a href="http://aliedwards.com/one-little-word" target="_blank">Ali Edwards OLW class</a> where I chose a word to focus on in all aspects of my life. In 2015 <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2015/01/2015.html" target="_blank">I chose Strength</a> and man was it a crazy ride. I knew I still wanted to focus on things that make me feel whole — specifically working out and creating so I used <a href="http://elisejoy.com/2016goaltracker" target="_blank">Elise Joy's #HabitProgress</a> calendar to keep track of that as well.<br /><br />This process worked really well for me so I plan on keeping the #HabitProgress calendar with the same two criteria and choosing a word as well. In November, I decided to choose the word Love for a lot of reasons. I feel like there's a lot of terrible things that are happening in the world that could use love. In 2015, I spent a lot of time learning to love myself and have a lot more to do. I also want to spend time loving on other people. I'm interested to see where this word takes me this year. Last year took some <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2015/04/2015-resolutions-q1-review.html" target="_blank">crazy turns</a> and I feel like connecting with a word did more for me than any resolutions ever did.<br /><br />Here's where I'm looking to see the word love manifest itself in my life this year.<br /><br /><u>Physically:</u> 2015 I spent a lot of time focusing on getting stronger, working out, etc. By the end of the year I was having some back issues though. I also spent a lot of time beating myself for not working out or not looking the way I wanted to. I want working out to be fun again — I want it to be something I do as a way to love myself not punish myself. That's not going to be easy, but I'm working to change my attitude and expectations. Maybe loving myself one week is only doing yoga. Maybe at some point it is joining a new gym with a trainer to make sure I don't get injured. Maybe it's taking a break from working out and being ok with NOT doing anything. We'll see.<br /><br /><u>Emotionally:</u> I already know going forward that this won't be an easy year emotionally. This year will be the year that Matt and I finally close the distance on our relationship, but I'm sure we'll have to deal with several things before that happens. I've also been dealing with my idea of worth a lot recently. How do I define success and worth? For the past few years its been my job, but I'm starting to see that that is not a healthy way to live your life. Again, this one will take a changing of attitude and expectations as I try to figure out what my priorities are and how I will live them out.<br /><br /><u>Spiritually:</u> I've done a lot of growing spiritually and this year I hope to use my faith to love on other people. I already help out with a high school youth group and I want to continue to work with them and my Bible study to spread the love around.<br /><br /><u>Mentally:</u> As I mentioned in my physical goals — I've had issues loving myself and that makes me mentally weak. I hope to make meditation a habit and just take time away for "me time." I'm not good at setting boundaries, but I've discovered that it is so necessary. Even if that's unplugging at night so I can stop the mindless scrolling on email and social media. I need to love myself enough to set boundaries and take mental breaks.<br /><br />Other things I want to work on:<br /><br /><ul><li>Plan a wedding!</li><li>Take the GMAT</li><li>Read my Bible at least 4 days a week</li></ul>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-22832324349153473382016-01-03T16:28:00.000-08:002016-01-03T16:28:19.063-08:00Engaged<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S13RjVA3T6Q/Vom5N09OuVI/AAAAAAABGCA/5Y7hKunknUs/s640/blogger-image--164734229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-S13RjVA3T6Q/Vom5N09OuVI/AAAAAAABGCA/5Y7hKunknUs/s400/blogger-image--164734229.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've had fun at New Years in the past, but I'm usually somewhere very cold, drinking with friends&nbsp;+ a bunch of inebriated people I don't know and by midnight I'm usually tired and all I want to do is find some late night food and my bed. It's always a good time, but just a little too over-hyped. It's always bittersweet — wow, that was fun.....but I expected more.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This year was the opposite. Matt and I were both visiting our respective families for Christmas so we just wanted to be together. We made last minute dinner plans and decided that we wouldn't do the big hyped up party — just a late dinner and time to hangout after not seeing each other for two weeks. While I had geared up for a low-key evening, I couldn't have expected it would be this good.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It wasn't a total surprise — we had looked at rings a few months ago and we've been talking about it for awhile. I figured it would be sometime in the New Year, but really wasn't anticipating it.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After dinner we got home and it was thirty minutes until midnight. "I'll open some champagne," I said and headed into the kitchen. I turned around with the glasses and he was on one knee.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It wasn't crazy, it wasn't over-hyped. It was <i>us</i>. Just us two, in love no matter where we are. Excited to start our lives together and see where it takes us.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We don't have a date yet, but based on all that we have planned this year it will probably be sometime in the first part of next year. I'm hoping to do some DIY, which I'll share here, but I promise it won't become the #MulletMatrimony blog.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But 2016 will be the year that Matt and Katy get together (and end long distance) so that's enough to look forward to for now.&nbsp;</div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7959111422438264002.post-30340148402118305312015-12-31T15:09:00.000-08:002015-12-31T15:12:04.915-08:002015 Recap<div style="text-align: center;">This year was one for the books. Full disclosure — this is a highlight reel, but overall this year was a <i>great</i> year. So much more happened than I could've ever expected and I feel so blessed thinking of all the people and places I got to see this year.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZpJa1IIZXIw/VoWyh3O11II/AAAAAAABF-4/LsvlOjM18ZA/s640/blogger-image--73384018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZpJa1IIZXIw/VoWyh3O11II/AAAAAAABF-4/LsvlOjM18ZA/s640/blogger-image--73384018.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I started the year by celebrating New Years in Pittsburgh, PA with my college friends.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lUaB4Z7Xf3Q/VoWzX9FjPUI/AAAAAAABGAI/KDTXGH77jHY/s640/blogger-image-666756007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lUaB4Z7Xf3Q/VoWzX9FjPUI/AAAAAAABGAI/KDTXGH77jHY/s640/blogger-image-666756007.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mid-January I visited Matt in Northern California.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-38LOQKmbtqw/VoWzAs_h4sI/AAAAAAABF_o/UJMZTdCot8Q/s640/blogger-image--827111345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-38LOQKmbtqw/VoWzAs_h4sI/AAAAAAABF_o/UJMZTdCot8Q/s640/blogger-image--827111345.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In February I got a new job! So I bought a new car to drive to CA.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Erpb9do4OTM/VoWxnKHr8_I/AAAAAAABF9Y/pcbkKCXKlvg/s640/blogger-image--79488128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Erpb9do4OTM/VoWxnKHr8_I/AAAAAAABF9Y/pcbkKCXKlvg/s640/blogger-image--79488128.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But I visited my sister in Dayton one last time before leaving.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uthg0nv2vWg/VoWymvmt_ZI/AAAAAAABF_A/pEoY4SaZCYQ/s640/blogger-image--218360156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uthg0nv2vWg/VoWymvmt_ZI/AAAAAAABF_A/pEoY4SaZCYQ/s640/blogger-image--218360156.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt joined me on half of the road trip between Chicago - SF.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cO8t2dr0xhk/VoWyrG6s5nI/AAAAAAABF_I/vayfapMd3ls/s640/blogger-image-1049346512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cO8t2dr0xhk/VoWyrG6s5nI/AAAAAAABF_I/vayfapMd3ls/s640/blogger-image-1049346512.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once there, we got to watch Dayton try to get into the tournament!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Qu1zu-hDHPA/VoWyB93KzUI/AAAAAAABF-A/LsEebUCqFak/s640/blogger-image-1327274198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Qu1zu-hDHPA/VoWyB93KzUI/AAAAAAABF-A/LsEebUCqFak/s640/blogger-image-1327274198.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made some new friends.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Wad5AhHZ70A/VoWx9gAW6gI/AAAAAAABF94/j32BJ1624f8/s640/blogger-image-1003490794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Wad5AhHZ70A/VoWx9gAW6gI/AAAAAAABF94/j32BJ1624f8/s640/blogger-image-1003490794.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And traveled to Dallas to work the CrossFit Regional there in May</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-171TqrItNls/VoWyKhEU9UI/AAAAAAABF-Q/9IBdqrt0Ozw/s640/blogger-image--1589499558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-171TqrItNls/VoWyKhEU9UI/AAAAAAABF-Q/9IBdqrt0Ozw/s640/blogger-image--1589499558.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best friends visited...</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aIuJgsMBZZI/VoWxro_iMrI/AAAAAAABF9g/a46Y4GPNxxk/s640/blogger-image-1947995792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aIuJgsMBZZI/VoWxro_iMrI/AAAAAAABF9g/a46Y4GPNxxk/s640/blogger-image-1947995792.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And got married.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BCJGgdPwqYg/VoWy8JB2cqI/AAAAAAABF_g/Z68AHX265qk/s640/blogger-image--1223710946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BCJGgdPwqYg/VoWy8JB2cqI/AAAAAAABF_g/Z68AHX265qk/s640/blogger-image--1223710946.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made it back to Dayton, OH for my 1 year Reunion at UD</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MFA1nuuUhkE/VoWx5evD9eI/AAAAAAABF9w/7LMJ51U8uqA/s640/blogger-image-110224826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MFA1nuuUhkE/VoWx5evD9eI/AAAAAAABF9w/7LMJ51U8uqA/s640/blogger-image-110224826.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did a Whole30.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0Tnx14kWdho/VoWyGqZK1nI/AAAAAAABF-I/e_KmNgVFL0Y/s640/blogger-image-852028845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0Tnx14kWdho/VoWyGqZK1nI/AAAAAAABF-I/e_KmNgVFL0Y/s640/blogger-image-852028845.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And spent the 4th of July at Robert Mondavi.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VNYh45spQSM/VoWxwTMzkLI/AAAAAAABF9o/8ncuHqWlDT0/s640/blogger-image-1192669237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VNYh45spQSM/VoWxwTMzkLI/AAAAAAABF9o/8ncuHqWlDT0/s640/blogger-image-1192669237.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For my 24th birthday, I joined family and friends in Hilton Head, SC.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CViB_SNZIOc/VoWyTiBKAFI/AAAAAAABF-g/IEMt6LM1nvY/s640/blogger-image--936542696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CViB_SNZIOc/VoWyTiBKAFI/AAAAAAABF-g/IEMt6LM1nvY/s640/blogger-image--936542696.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And made it home at the end of August for my Grandma's 94th birthday!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aQmp66ju7Kc/VoWyz3BGhOI/AAAAAAABF_Y/L09h6VILFoo/s640/blogger-image--628520700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aQmp66ju7Kc/VoWyz3BGhOI/AAAAAAABF_Y/L09h6VILFoo/s640/blogger-image--628520700.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Labor Day was spent in Monterey and Carmel.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LH4fkfq3RsQ/VoWyPCzh4pI/AAAAAAABF-Y/bVnlbt26u8I/s640/blogger-image--2037195740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LH4fkfq3RsQ/VoWyPCzh4pI/AAAAAAABF-Y/bVnlbt26u8I/s640/blogger-image--2037195740.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We caught a weekend in Santa Cruz.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BzlWIqCLjrk/VoWzTDPmxFI/AAAAAAABGAA/gY97rUm4JdE/s640/blogger-image-787582210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BzlWIqCLjrk/VoWzTDPmxFI/AAAAAAABGAA/gY97rUm4JdE/s640/blogger-image-787582210.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My parents visited.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-78JP9FfQO20/VoWyc0yUpYI/AAAAAAABF-w/Osw0H8tn6oU/s640/blogger-image-1476412838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-78JP9FfQO20/VoWyc0yUpYI/AAAAAAABF-w/Osw0H8tn6oU/s640/blogger-image-1476412838.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And so did Matt's.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-maW31DtlZJs/VoWyvdYJp7I/AAAAAAABF_Q/NQ1jVHUGq-A/s640/blogger-image-1710328899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-maW31DtlZJs/VoWyvdYJp7I/AAAAAAABF_Q/NQ1jVHUGq-A/s640/blogger-image-1710328899.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I went to a <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2015/11/writing-lessons-from-elizabeth-gilbert.html" target="_blank">writer's workshop</a> with Elizabeth Gilbert.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_vfQaoToXLc/VoWzOwQkewI/AAAAAAABF_4/XcECjDecZDw/s640/blogger-image--385694155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_vfQaoToXLc/VoWzOwQkewI/AAAAAAABF_4/XcECjDecZDw/s640/blogger-image--385694155.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">College roommates came to see wine country.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bJWiBB1KNdk/VoWzE428YtI/AAAAAAABF_w/Lhteuno7UUo/s640/blogger-image--798921286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bJWiBB1KNdk/VoWzE428YtI/AAAAAAABF_w/Lhteuno7UUo/s640/blogger-image--798921286.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And Matt and I road tripped to <a href="http://www.katyskitchen8.com/2015/12/portland-or.html" target="_blank">Portland</a> for Thanksgiving.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CCr9qA0Ke6c/VoWyYXZcI5I/AAAAAAABF-o/n9DhXyK3ezo/s640/blogger-image-146063300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CCr9qA0Ke6c/VoWyYXZcI5I/AAAAAAABF-o/n9DhXyK3ezo/s640/blogger-image-146063300.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">December was a whirlwind, but I spent Christmas in Chicago with my family.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Katy Utterhttps://plus.google.com/114930626594263836581noreply@blogger.com0